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Daniel Oyefusi
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not disappoint in his extremely anticipated NFL debut.
Sanders, the son of Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Deion Sanders, threw a pair of first-half landing passes as he began the Browns’ preseason opener towards the Carolina Panthers on Friday evening.
Sanders threw his first landing on a 7-yard cross to broad receiver Kaden Davis on the primary play of the second quarter, threading the ball by way of a good window within the again nook of the tip zone. Cleveland’s offense capitalized on a brief subject after the Browns recovered a muffed punt deep within the purple zone. The landing prompted celebration from his father and former school coach, Deion Sanders, on social media.
Sure Lawd! Sure! @ShedeurSanders
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 8, 2025
Sanders later discovered Davis once more on a 12-yard landing cross towards the tip of the primary half.
In rather less than three quarters, Sanders accomplished 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and he added 23 dashing yards. Sanders was on the sector for 45 performs — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned Sanders would get about 50 snaps — earlier than Tyler Huntley, who was signed Tuesday after a number of QB accidents, entered the sport with 2:12 remaining within the third quarter.
Sanders was thought to be one of many prime quarterbacks within the 2025 NFL draft earlier than dropping to the fifth spherical, the place the Browns chosen him with the 144th decide. He was the second quarterback Cleveland took, after Dillon Gabriel, who was picked within the third spherical.
Within the first three weeks of coaching camp, Sanders has been QB4 because the Browns have held a quarterback competitors, getting observe reps behind Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Nevertheless, the Browns sat Flacco, who has taken many of the first-team reps, and Pickett and Gabriel had been sidelined due to hamstring accidents, paving the way in which for Sanders to start out the Browns’ preseason opener.